Assemblywoman Elizabeth A. Connelly was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1973 as the first woman from Staten Island elected to public office. Connelly was appointed Chairwoman of the Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities and Alcoholism and Substance Abuse in 1977, becoming the first woman Democrat ever to chair a standing Assembly Committee. Connelly was also interested in environmental issues and her activities in closing the Fresh Kills Landfill and in protecting the Staten Island environment. Connelly was appointed to chair the Committee on Standing Committees in 1993 and was appointed Speaker Pro Tempore in 1995, the highest leadership position ever held by a woman in the New York State Assembly. Connelly retired in 2000 as the longest serving woman in the history of the New York State Legislature. The collection contains correspondence, newsletters, reports, press releases, news clippings, public hearing testimony, photographs and awards.

Assemblywoman Elizabeth A. Connelly donated her papers to the College of Staten Island in 2000. Additional donations were received in 2003 and 2004. Connelly also left several files on the Willowbrook State School (1975-1993) with SIDDSO that were brought to the College of Staten Island in 2003.

Access

Access to this record group is unrestricted except that some items of correspondence remain closed to researchers.

Copyright Notice

The researcher assumes full responsibility for compliance with laws of copyright. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Coordinator of Archives & Special Collections.

Elizabeth A. Connelly was born Elizabeth Keresey on June 19, 1928 to John Walter and Alice Marie (Mallon) Keresey in Brooklyn, NY. Her parents' marriage dissolved early, and she and her mother moved in with Connelly's maternal grandparents. Connelly was raised in the Bronx and educated in the public school system. After finishing high school Connelly began work at Pan American World Airways in 1946, ultimately working for the company for eight years. While there, she met Robert V. Connelly in 1948. They were married on September 6, 1952 and moved to Staten Island to raise a family in 1954. By 1966, the couple had four children: Alice, Robert Jr., Margaret and Therese.

Connelly was active in local schools and community activities, including volunteer work at the Staten Island Hospital and local Democratic politics and campaign work. She also continued to raise her family, and in 1973 her children were 8, 15, 17 and 19. She joined the North Shore Democratic Club in 1966 and was also elected to the Democratic County Committee, where she also served as a zone leader from 1972-1974. In 1973, she made her first run for public office for the Assembly seat being vacated by Edward J. Amann, who had been appointed to the Court of Claims. Connelly was nominated by both the Democratic County Committee and the Conservative Party. During her campaign, she spoke out against Republican leadership and spending and stated that her primary concerns were LNG tanks, the hospital bed shortage, sewers and the Willowbrook State School. Upon winning the election, Connelly became Staten Island's first female elected official.

Connelly's first committee assignments were Health, Education and Transportation. In 1975, she was assigned to the Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Developmental Disabilities, Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. When she was named chair in 1977 she became the first woman Democrat to chair an Assembly standing committee. She remained chair from 1977-1992, although Alcohol and Substance Abuse became its own standing committee in 1986. Other committees on which she served include: Education (1974-1976), Transportation (1974-1993), Environmental Conservation (1979-1986), Health (1974-2000), Rules (1981-2000), Veterans (1985-2000), Corrections (1987-2000), House Operations (1980-c 1990) and Ways and Means (1993-2000). In addition, Connelly chaired the Subcommittee for Drunk Driving and the Assembly Intern Committee. She also served on the Assembly Subcommittees for Women Veterans and for Urban Health Care. She served on many tasks forces including the New York State Task Force on the Implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the New York State AD HOC Task Force on AIDS, the New York State Task Force on Teenage Suicide Prevention, Governor Cuomo's Interagency Task Force on Troubled and Needy Children and the Assembly Task Forces on the Homeless and on New Americans. Connelly also ran successfully for Delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1976, 1980, 1988 and 1996.

In the 1990's, Connelly held several leadership positions in the state government. In 1993, the Legislature elected her to chair the New York State Legislative Women's Caucus and Speaker Saul Weprin appointed her to chair the Committee on Committees. Speaker Sheldon Silver appointed her to be Speaker Pro Tempore in 1995, the highest-ranking leadership position ever held by a woman in the history of the New York State Assembly. When Connelly retired in 2000, she was the longest serving woman in the history of the New York State Legislature.

Connelly was called the "guardian angel of the mentally disabled in New York State" by Dr. Kenneth Popler, Executive Director of the Staten Island Mental Health Society. She was instrumental in securing funds for mental health programs and in creating the Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled. Connelly was also involved in issues related to Willowbrook State School, and pushed for improvements after she made an unannounced tour of the school in January, 1974. Connelly fought against negative stereotypes of the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. She worked to extend the MTA's Half Fare program to include the mentally ill, to create a wheelchair "lemon law" and to limit extensive travel time for handicapped students. She was interested in issues relating to special education, deinstitutionalization, group homes and the treatment of the mentally disabled in courts, prison systems and death penalty laws. She was instrumental in passing laws requiring insurance coverage for formulas needed by persons with metabolic disorders such as Phenylketonuria (PKU), which if untreated, causes mental retardation. She was also a strong proponent of involuntary outpatient commitment and was the prime sponsor of legislation creating the pilot program at Bellevue Hospital. Her personal commitment and leadership of the Committee on Mental Health helped redefine how the mentally ill and developmentally disabled are treated in New York and throughout the United States.

Connelly was also a strong supporter of environmental causes. She successfully sued the City of New York over Fresh Kills Landfill in 1978. As a result of her lawsuits, the city was required to maintain stricter control over the landfill and to meet certain conditions regarding its operation. In 1996, Connelly co-sponsored legislation to close the landfill by 2002. Connelly was involved in many environmental concerns including the Greenbelt, Sandy Ground, Graniteville Quarry, Mount Loretto, parks, wetlands, air quality, the mechanical dredging of shellfish, aircraft noise pollution, LNG tanks and ship pilot's issues. She also worked tirelessly against dredging and the deposit of dredged materials in waters around New York Harbor and Raritan Bay.

Connelly is also well known for her commitment to Staten Island and to issues related to health, veterans, education, compulsive gambling, alcoholism and substance abuse. She also fought for the people and neighborhoods in her North Shore district, which included the poorer areas of Staten Island. She was involved in efforts to re-open the abandoned North Shore railroad and she fought to keep shipping container companies and to preserve jobs, an Army National Guard Unit and the Naval Homeport. She also supported Staten Island's secession movement and was the Vice-Chairman of the Staten Island Charter Commission.

Connelly was involved in local groups and issues throughout her career. She served on numerous boards and was a member of many committees, societies, councils and other community organizations. She was also one of the two first women named to the Board of Trustees of The Staten Island Hospital during her first year in office, and was later the first woman chair. She received 376 awards and citations during 1974-2002, and was named a Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement in 1985. There are also several facilities on Staten Island that were named in her honor, including the Elizabeth A. Connelly Resource Center and the Elizabeth A. Connelly Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Center of St. Vincent's North Richmond Community Mental Health Center. She was committed to her family throughout her career, and by 2003, her three daughters had married and she had six grandchildren. She remains active during her retirement, and served as the Honorary Staten Island Chairperson for Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate campaign in 2000.

Chronology

June 19, 1928

Born Elizabeth Keresey to John Walter and Alice Marie (Mallon) Keresey in Brooklyn.

1946

Began work at Pan American Airlines. She worked for the company for eight years in both traffic and sales.

Sept. 6, 1948

Married Robert V. Connelly. She had met Connelly, a native Staten Islander, at Pan American Airlines in 1948.

1954

Moved to Graniteville with her husband.

1961

Began volunteering at Staten Island Hospital; named Volunteer of the Year in 1972 and 1973.

1966

Joined the North Shore Democratic Club, and later became secretary.

1972

Elected Democratic Party district leader.

1973

Appointed to the New York City Diamond Jubilee committee.

Nov. 1973

In her first try for elective office, Mrs. Connelly was endorsed by the Democratic and Conservative parties and defeated Republican John K. Winter for the Assembly seat long-held by Republican Edward Amann. She became the first woman elected to public office on Staten Island.

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.Cons.Total

13,3653,32516,690

John K. Winter

Rep.

11,260

Total Turnout

27,950

Dec. 8, 1973

Sworn in by Judge Vito Titone as a member of the State Assembly.

Jan. 1974

Made her first inspection tour of Willowbrook State School.

June 1974

Named to the Board of Trustees of Staten Island Hospital.

Sept. 1974

Defeated Mark Herman in the Democratic primary, 5,475 to 1,222.

Nov. 1974

Reelected for her first full term in the Assembly (61st Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

18,289

Anthony I. Giacobbe

Rep.

11,415

George Boelger

Con.

3,041

Joseph Sully

Lib.

621

Total Turnout

33,366

Jan. 1975

Named to the Assembly Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Developmental Disabilities, Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

March 1975

Appointed by Mayor Beame to the new Commission on the Status of Women.

June 1975

Appointed to a special task force by Assembly Speaker Stanley Steingut to oversee the reorganization of the Department of Mental Hygiene.

June 17, 1975

Her first bill was signed into law: A3295A, making it illegal to pass a stopped school bus on Staten Island (Chapter 254).

Aug 1975

Appointed by Governor Carey to a special task force on the storage and transportation of liquefied natural gas.

July 1976

Served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention held in Madison Square Garden.

Nov. 1976

Reelected to the Assembly (61st Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

22,159

Robert Minogue

Rep.Con.Total

15,0594,24719,306

Richard L. Prideaux

Lib.

1,093

Total Turnout

42,558

Jan. 1977

Appointed Chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Developmental Disabilities, Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, becoming the first woman Democrat to chair a standing committee in the legislature. Under her leadership, a bill calling for the reorganization of the Department of Mental Hygiene's rules was enacted (Chapter 978).

Dec. 1977

Relocated her district office to a building in the Willowbrook Developmental Center.

Sept. 1978

Filed suit in State Supreme Court to close the Fresh Kills Landfill.

Nov. 1978

Re-elected to the Assembly (61st Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

18,781

Robert Helbock

Rep.Con.Total

11,036

Total Turnout

29,817

Jan. 1979

Appointed to the Environmental Conservation Committee, serving through 1986.

July 11, 1979

Legislation addressing the special needs of women alcoholics was signed into law (Chapter 659), providing funding for the creation of Amethyst House.

July 1980

Served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Nov. 1980

Re-elected to the Assembly (61st Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

18,987

Joseph F. Giacalone

Rep.Con.Total

13,0473,08716,134

Alfred J. Thompson

RTL

2,178

Mary Desiato

Lib.

775

Total Turnout

42,746

This is the highest turnout of any of Mrs. Connelly's races.

Jan. 1981

Named to the Assembly Rules Committee, serving until her retirement.

Oct. 1981

The Elizabeth A. Connelly Resource Center dedicated at Willowbrook.

1982

Sponsored the bill that raised the drinking age from 18 to 19 in the state

Nov. 1982

Re-elected to the Assembly (58th Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

17,107

Richard Thomas

Rep.RTLTotal

6,5071,0047,511

Richard F. Birmingham

Con.

1,545

Walter H. Pearsons

Lib.

386

Total Turnout

26,549

Nov. 1984

Re-elected to the Assembly (58th Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

22,715

Karina Constantino

Rep.Con.RTLTotal

13,4071,8251,10216,334

Total Turnout

39,049

Jan. 1985

Appointed to the Veterans Committee, serving until her retirement.

Oct. 1985

The Staten Island Advance named Elizabeth Connelly an Advance Woman of Achievement.

Nov. 1986

Re-elected to the Assembly (58th Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

14,549

Karina Constantino

Rep.Con.RTLTotal

6,0221,2768528,150

Walter H. Pearsons

Lib.

336

Total Turnout

23,035

Jan. 1987

Appointed to the Corrections Committee, serving until her retirement.

1987

Named "Humanitarian of the Year" by Staten Island Center for Independent Living.

July 1988

Served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention

Nov. 1988

Re-elected to the Assembly (58th Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

22,745

Robert E. Mahoney

Rep.Con.Total

9,8722,05611,928

James P. McCoy

RTL

699

Total Turnout

35,372

Dec. 1989

Sponsored bill that allowed for the referendum on Staten Island Secession and the creation of a Charter Commission.

Nov. 1990

Reelected to the Assembly (58th Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

22,745

Thomas R. Quinlan III

Rep.Con.Total

4,9561,9796,935

Michael V. Vacca, Jr.

RTL

1,099

Total Turnout

23,273

Jan. 18, 1991

Amethyst House, a residence for women with alcoholism, was formally dedicated on the grounds of Bayley Seton Hospital. The facility had accepted its first residents in June 1990, and reached its capacity of 20 clients by October 1990. Mrs. Connelly had long supported this effort and had brought attention to the lack of facilities for women with alcoholism.

Nov. 1992

Re-elected to the Assembly (59th Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

24,739

Louis D. Fraser

Rep.Con.Total

8,3451,5029,847

Donald Reese

RTL

1,420

Total Turnout

36,006

1993

Appointed by Speaker Weprin to chair the Committee on Committees. This is her first leadership appointment.

Named to the Ways and Means Committee, serving until her retirement.

Elected by the Legislature to chair the New York State Legislative Women's Caucus.

Sponsored bill that required certain health insurance policies to cover the cost of formulas necessary for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU) and related disorders.

Sponsored the "Wheelchair Lemon Law" that gave consumers similar rights and protection with regard to defective wheelchairs as already existed for defective automobiles.

Feb. 28, 1994

The Staten Island Charter Commission delivered its findings, concluding that "it is possible to provide current services for a city the size of Staten island with the current level of revenues" and proposing legislation "enabling the borough of Staten Island to disengage and separate from the City of New York." Senator Marchi and Assemblywoman Connelly introduced the legislation to create the City of Staten Island, but the bill died on March 4 when Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the Assembly, declared that he would not bring the Charter for the City of Staten Island to the floor without a "home rule" message from the City. On June 14 Mrs. Connelly and the other Staten Island legislators, Robert Straniere and Eric Vitaliano, sued the Speaker to overrule his decision.

Nov. 1994

Re-elected to the Assembly (59th Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

18,073

Leo V. Duval

Rep.

6,784

John F. Matusewicz

Con.

1,379

David Goldfarb

Lib.

935

Tadeusz Stola

RTL

576

Total Turnout

27,747

1995

Appointed Speaker Pro Tempore, the highest rank ever attained by a woman in the state legislature.

Feb. 27, 1996

Cardinal O'Connor presented Mrs. Connelly with an award from the New York State Catholic Conference.

May 1996

Co-sponsored legislation to force the closing of the Fresh Kills landfill by 2002.

May 10, 1996

Received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Wagner College.

June 1996

Sponsored bill to create a fiduciary fund for the New York State Women Veterans Memorial.

Aug. 1996

Served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Nov. 1996

Re-elected to the Assembly (59th Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

20,807

Stephen J. Fiala

Rep.Con.Fre.Total

6,7671,4182098,394

Caroline A. Cutroneo

Ind.

603

Total Turnout

29,804

1997

Sponsored bill that extended the MTA half-fare program to include the mentally ill.

Sponsored bill that created an involuntary commitment pilot program at Bellevue Hospital for the mentally ill. This program was a predecessor to Kendra's Law.

Nov. 1998

Reelected to the Assembly (59th Assembly District).

Elizabeth A. Connelly

Dem.

18,025

Michael J. Attisano

RepCon.Total

5,0321,3556,387

Maureen P. Donohue

Lib.

383

William Bryk

RTL

430

Total Turnout

25,225

April 13, 2000

Announced she would not seek reelection to the Assembly. She was the longest serving woman in the history of the state legislature at her retirement.

June 2000

Named the honorary campaign chair of Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate campaign on Staten Island.

Oct. 2000

Donated her public papers to the Archives and Special Collections, College of Staten Island.

Received special awards and recognition from the Staten Island Branch of the NAACP; the National Council of Negro Women; the Staten Island African/American Political Association; the Staten Island Inter-Agency Council; the Substance Abuse Association of Staten Island; the Foundation of Advocacy for Mental Health and the Mental Health Association of New York; the Staten island Tough Love Organization for her support of PINS reform legislation; the first annual Marie J. Goepel Award from the March of Dimes; the Sailor's Snug Harbor Little League; the New York City Council; and the Comptroller of the City of New York.

2002

The Elizabeth A. Connelly Pavilion was dedicated at the Meals on Wheels headquarters in Port Richmond, and the Elizabeth A. Connelly Way street sign was dedicated at the West Shore Little League.

Received awards from Senator John Marchi; the Business and Professional Women's Organization of Staten Island; the Staten Island Center of Independent Living; the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Staten Island; Blessed Sacrament Holy Name Society; the West Brighton Tenants Organization; and was named the United Hospital Fund's "Trustee of the Year."

May 29, 2002

Received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the College of Staten Island.

The Assemblywoman Elizabeth A. Connelly Papers contain correspondence, news clippings, newsletters, reports, press releases, statements, bills, legislative resolutions, photographs, videos, biographical materials and memorabilia. The majority of the records originate from Connelly's Albany office with the exception of press clippings located in the News Clippings subseries of the Media Files series that were collected by the Connelly's District Office on Staten Island (Box 75). Although collection materials cover Connelly's entire Assembly career, there is more material available from the last decade of her career than earlier decades. There are also several files on the Willowbrook State School (1975-1993) that Connelly left with SIDDSO that were brought to the College of Staten Island in 2003.

The focus of the collection is New York State legislation. The Subject Files comprise about two thirds of the collection (approximately 24 linear feet). This series contains the general subject files and is arranged alphabetically by subject. Most files deal with specific legislative initiatives but also include subjects of interest to Connelly and/or on which she received correspondence. The general subject files contain mainly correspondence, statements, newsclipings, press releases and bills but also include such records as pamphlets, programs and reports. The Legislative Files comprise approximately 3.5 linear feet and cover 1975-2000. There is a comprehensive list of all Connelly's prime sponsored legislation with additional information on the bills and resulting laws, vetoes or recalls by the governor (Box 65, Folder 1). The comprehensive list covers 1975-2000, while the rest of the files cover 1989-2000. The series contains files arranged by committee or topic (1999-2000), files arranged chronologically and then by bill number (1990-2000), files on secession (1989-90, 1998) and general chronological files (1995-2000). The Legislative Files also contain Connelly's Assembly Floor Voting Records for the 1991, 1993-2000 Regular Sessions. The Subject Files and the Legislative Files are particularly strong in issues related to Connelly's committee assignments and in issues related to education, mental health, health, drunk driving, compulsive gambling, alcohol and substance abuse, cemeteries, secession and environmental issues such as Fresh Kills Landfill, Graniteville Quarry, ship pilots and the dredging of New York Harbor.

Campaign information contained in the Campaign series covers only the 1994, 1996 and 1998 re-election campaigns. There are a few items of ephemera from the 1980's and the 1992 campaigns, but no campaign files. There is one folder containing speeches, 1979-1998, in the Speeches subseries of the Media Files series. The collection of photographs (Box 82) in the Photographs series comprises one small box and includes photographs from Connelly’s Assembly career.

The Connelly papers contain a large amount of correspondence. Most correspondence is in the Subject Files but there is approximately 1 linear foot in the Constituent Correspondence series covering 1999-2000, arranged chronologically. Additionally, there is correspondence on specific bills and budget issues in the Legislative Files series.

Most media related records including press releases, statements, newsletters and newsclippings are found throughout the collection. However, within the Media Files series there is one box of press releases, 1982-2000 and one folder of statements, 1979, 1989-2000. There is a separate box of newsletters, 1974-2000, which contains an entire run of all Connelly's newsletters (approximately 65 in all). The District Office on Staten Island created its own newsclipping files, and these comprise approximately one box (Box 75). There is also a small box (about 1") of newsclippings covering 1985-1994 (Box 76). There are additional biographical newsclippings in the Biographical Files subseries of the Personal Files series. There are no audiotapes in the collection but there are two videotapes in the Video subseries of the Media Files series. There is also one folder containing information on television program appearances in the Personal Files series and some photographs related to the Capital Close-Up program (1988) in the Photographs series.

Although the Personal Files series does include biographical files and personal files, but there are none of the appointment books, guest books or schedules that one might expect to find in the collection. There is a small box of invitations and programs in the Invitations Accepted and Rejected subseries, but additional invitations can be found within the Subject Files series. The Scrapbooks series contains one scrapbook of biographical newsclippings used at a Staten Island appreciation function for Connelly after her retirement from the Assembly. The Memorabilia series includes various awards, pen certificates and plaques.

This series contains general subject files and is arranged
A-Z by topic. Most subject files deal with specific legislative initiatives
but also include subjects of interest to Connelly and/or on which she
received correspondence. The files contain mainly newsletters, bills,
press releases, news clippings, statements and correspondence but also
include other materials such as pamphlets, programs and reports.

Box#

Folder#

Title

1

1-2

Abortion, 1993-2000

1

3

Access-A-Ride (MTA Paratransit
Services), 1987-1992

1

4-5

Adult Homes, 1990-2000

1

6

Advanced New York Harbor
Navigation and Safety System Demonstration Project (Lockheed Martin),
1997-1998

1

7

African American Community,
1994-1997

1

8

Aging, 1994, 1996, 1998,
2000

1

9

Agriculture, New York State
Department of, 1994, 1998-1999

2

1

AIDS, 1997-2000

2

2

Air Quality in New York and
New Jersey, 1978-1992

2

3-4

Airport Pollution, 1990-1999

2

4.1

Alcoholism and Substance
Abuse Services, New York State Office Of (OASAS), 1993-1998

2

5

Alzheimer's Disease, 1995-2000

2

6

Amalgamated Transit Union,
1987-1999

2

6.1

American with Disabilities
Act (ADA), Task Force on the Implementation of the, 1992

2

7

Art, 1998-2000

3

1

Arthur Kill Correctional
Facility, 1989-1998

3

2

Arthur Kill Correctional
Facility, 1976-1978, 1989-2000

3

3

American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), 1998-1999

3

4

Assault Weapons, 1998-2000

3

5

Autism, 2000

4

1-6

Amethyst House, 1978-1999

5

1

Banking, 1996-2000

5

2

Bay Keeper, 1986-1990

5

3

Bayley Seton, 1999

5

3.1

Begun, Martin S., 1996

5

3.2

Bell Atlantic NYNEX, 1999

5

4

Benjamin Rush Center, 1989-1990

5

5

Body Piercing, 1998, 2000

5

6

Borough President's 21st
Century Road Plan (Guy V. Molinari), 1996

5

7

Borrow Pits, 1977-1987

5

8

Borrow Pits, 1988-1994

5

9

Borrow Pits, 1995-1997

5

10

Borrow Pits, 1998-2000

5

11

Borrow Pits, n.d.

6

1

Boy Scouts, 1998-2000

6

1.1

Bread of Life Drive, 1997

6

2

Breast Cancer Funding, 1978-1992,
1996, 2000

6

3

Bridge Tolls, 1985-1993

6

4

Bridge Tolls - Articles,
1986-1992

6

5

Bridges, 1982, 1989-2000

6

6

Brooklyn Union Gas, 1995,
1997

6

7

Buildings, New York City
Department of, 2000

6

8

Bus Issues, 1998

7

1

Camelot Counseling Centers,
1985-1993

7

2

Camelot Counseling Centers,
1994-1997

7

3

Carmel Richmond Nursing Home,
1996-1999

7

4

Casino Gambling, 1992, 1995-1996

7

4.1

Catholic Big Brothers, Inc.,
1996-1997

7

5

Catholic School Nurses, 1999-2000

7

6

Cemeteries, 1993, 1996-2000

8

1

Cemetery Vandalism, 1987-1994

8

2

Cemetery Vandalism, 1995-2000

8

3

Cemetery Vandalism, 1988-2000

8

3.1

Cemeteries, Veterans', 1991,
1995-2000

8

3.2

Central Family Life Center,
1993

8

4

Charter Revision Commission,
New York City, 1987-1988

8

5

Charter Revision Commission,
New York City, March-April, 1989

8

6

Charter Revision Commission,
New York City, May-July, 1989 & n.d.

9

1

Child Abuse, 1993-1999

9

2

Child Abuse Allegations,
1997-2000

9

2.1

Child Abuse Elisa's Law,
1977, 1995

9

3

Children's Sports, 1986,
1994-1999

9

4

Churches, 1989, 1993-2000

9

4.1

Clay Pit Ponds Preserve,
2000

9

5

Civil Service, New York State
Department of, 2000

9

6

Clams, 1988-1989, 1994-1998

9

7

Clean Water of New York,
Inc., 1997

9

8

Clove Lakes Nursing Home,
1990-1997

9

8.1

Coalition for Not for Profit
Nursing Homes, 1997

9

8.2

College Avenue, 1998

9

9

College of Staten Island,
1993-1997

9

10

College of Staten Island,
1998-2000

9

11

College of Staten Island
- Developmental Disabilities, 2001-2002

9

12

College of Staten Island
- Victory Blvd. Bus Stop, 1997-1998

10

1

Commission on Quality of
Care for the Mentally Disabled, State of New York, 1992-1999

10

2

Community Board 1, 1996-2000

10

3

Community Boards, 1981-1996

10

3.1

Community Boards, 2000

10

4

Community Resources for the
Developmentally Disabled, 1999

10

5

Comptroller, New York City,
1994-1995

10

6

Con Edison, 2000

10

7

Con Edison, 1996-2000

10

8

Conference Committee, 1998-1999

10

9

Constitutional Convention,
New York State, 1997

11

1

Correctional Service, New
York State Department of, Nurse Issues, 1992-1996

This series contains constituent requests and correspondence on various subjects. The correspondence is arranged chronologically. There is also one folder of questionnaires from various sources (1989-2000).

This series contains files on legislation. There are seven distinct sets of legislative files. The first set of files is Legislation by Committee/Topic, (1999-2000) (Boxes 58-61). These files are arranged alphabetically by committee name or topic and include correspondence and information on particular bills. The second set of files is Secession Legislation (1989-1990, 1998) (Box 62) arranged chronologically and containing various record types. The third set of files is General Legislation (1995-2000) (Box 63), arranged chronologically and containing correspondence and information on various bills. The fourth set of files is Budget (1998-2000) (Box 64), which contains correspondence relating to budget issues. The fifth set of files is Prime Sponsored Legislation (1990-2000) (Boxes 65-70), arranged by chronologically by the year a bill was signed into law or vetoed, and then by bill number. These files contain bill copies and related memoranda and materials. The comprehensive list (Box 65, Folder 1) has information on all Connelly's prime-sponsored bills and resulting laws, vetoes or recalls by the governor. The sixth set of files is Legislative Resolutions (1992-1995, 1999-2000) (Box 71), arranged chronologically. The seventh set of files consists of Voting and Attendance Records (1991, 1993-2000) (Box 72).

Series - Subseries A: Legislative Correspondence, 1989-2000.

This subseries contains the files on Legislation by Committee/Topic (1999-2000), General Legislation (1995-2000), Secession (1989-1990, 1998) and the Budget (1998-2000).

This series contains press releases, statements, speeches, newsclippings and newsletters covering the entirety of Connelly's Assembly career. Additional records of this type can be found throughout the collection, especially in the Subject Files and the Legislative Files series.

Series 4 - Subseries A: Press Releases and Statements, 1982-2000.

This subseries contains press releases, 1982-2000, and a small sample of statements, 1989-2000. Additional press releases and statements can be found throughout the collection, especially in the Subject Files and the Legislative Files series.

Box#

Folder#

Title

73

1

Press Releases, 1982

73

2

Press Releases, 1983

73

3

Press Releases, 1984

73

4

Press Releases, 1985

73

5

Press Releases, 1986

73

6

Press Releases, 1987

73

7

Press Releases, 1988

73

8

Press Releases, 1989

73

9

Press Releases, 1990

73

10

Press Releases, 1991

73

11

Press Releases, 1992

73

12

Press Releases, 1993

73

13

Press Releases, 1994

73

14

Press Releases, 1995

73

15

Press Releases, 1996

73

16

Press Releases, 1997

73

17

Press Releases, 1998

73

18

Press Releases, 1999

73

19

Press Releases, 2000

73

20

Statements, 1979, 1988-2000

Series 4 - Subseries B: Newsletters and Mailings, 1974-2000.

This subseries contains a complete run of Connelly's newsletters, 1974-2000 (Approximately 65 in all). Additional newsletters can be found throughout the collection, especially in the Subject Files and the Legislative Files series.

Box#

Folder#

Title

74

1

Newsletters, 1974

74

2

Newsletters, 1976

74

3

Newsletters, 1977

74

4

Newsletters, 1978

74

5

Newsletters, 1979

74

6

Newsletters, 1980

74

7

Newsletters, 1981

74

8

Newsletters, 1982

74

9

Newsletters, 1983

74

10

Newsletters, 1984

74

11

Newsletters, 1985

74

12

Newsletters, 1986

74

13

Newsletters, 1987

74

14

Newsletters, 1988

74

15

Newsletters, 1989

74

16

Newsletters, 1990

74

17

Newsletters, 1991

74

18

Newsletters, 1992

74

19

Newsletters, 1993

74

20

Newsletters, 1994

74

21

Newsletters, 1995

74

22

Newsletters, 1996

74

23

Newsletters, 1997

74

24

Newsletters, 1998

74

25

Newsletters, 1999

74

26

Newsletters, 2000

Series 4 - Subseries C: Newsclippings, 1985-2000.

This subseries contains the newsclipping files of Connelly's District Office on Staten Island (1997-2000) (Box 75). There is also a small box (about 1") of newsclippings covering 1985-1994 (Box 76). Additional newsclippings can be found throughout the collection, especially in the Subject Files and the Legislative Files series. There are also biographical newsclippings in the Biographical Files subseries of the Personal Files series.

Box#

Folder#

Title

75

1

District Office Press Clippings, 1997

75

2

District Office Press Clippings, 1998

75

3

District Office Press Clippings, 1999

75

4

District Office Press Clippings, 2000

76

1

Newsclippings, 1985

76

2

Newsclippings, 1986

76

3

Newsclippings, 1988

76

4

Newsclippings, 1989

76

5

Newsclippings, 1990

76

6

Newsclippings, 1991

76

7

Newsclippings, 1992

76

8

Newsclippings, 1993

76

9

Newsclippings, 1994, 2003

Series 4 - Subseries D: Speeches, 1979-1998.

This series contains one large folder of speeches and talking points covering various occasions from approximately 1979-1998.

Box#

Folder#

Title

77

1

Speeches, 1979-1998

Series 4 - Subseries E: Video, 1993-2002

There are three videos in the collection. Two videos are related to the Willowbrook State School. There are "Final Injunction of the Willowbrook Consent Decree, March 11, 1993," which is a tape of the hearing held at the U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, and "Burt," which is a documentary film about the life of Burt Petrone, a former Willowbrook resident. The subseries also includes "Elizabeth A. Connelly Presents - Women of the House: A History of Women in the New York State Legislature (1996)."

Box#

Folder#

Title

77

"Final Injunction of the Willowbrook Consent Decree", March 11, 1993

- - VHS Format. Length: 29 minutes.

77

"Women of the House: A History of Women in the New York State Legislature", 1996

This series contains one scrapbook created for use by the Connelly family at a ceremony honoring Connelly on July 7, 2000 at the Michael J. Petrides Educational Complex on Staten Island. While some items in the scrapbook are dated after the ceremony, all items in the scrapbook were kept together.